Understanding Obamacare: What Are The Major Differences Between Plans On Healthcare.gov?

Question: What are the major differences between plans on
healthcare.gov?

Answer: Before the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, it was
difficult to compare insurance plans. Upfront costs versus quality of coverage,
changes in plan designs, exclusions, riders and more made purchasing health
insurance a headache. Obamacare has made the process easier by requiring
insurance companies that sell plans on the marketplace to categorize plans into
Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum standards. Healthcare.gov has tools to help
you compare plan costs side by side.

Except
for grandfathered plans, new insurance plans must offer certain essential
benefits such as preventative care, caps on out-of-pocket spending and
deductibles, mental health coverage, and more. A Gold or Platinum plan may have
higher a premium but smaller co-pays and deductibles, whereas a Bronze or
Silver plan will have lower premiums with higher co-pays and deductibles. So
the choice is yours: the plans cover the same services, but if you expect you’ll
need more medical attention you may want a plan with lower out-of-pocket
costs.

The
type of plan is also important for tax credits or subsidies. Tax credits make
sure you can afford a Silver plan no matter the size of your family or your
income. But if you’d prefer you can also use the credit on a Bronze or Gold/Platinum
plan. For some, a Bronze plan’s cost could be 90% or 100% paid by available tax
credits, leaving them to cover only the deductibles and other out-of-pocket
costs.

All
this means you have greater freedom to compare plans apples to apples. Pick
your plan type, decide how you’d prefer to pay, check available tax credits,
see which health providers are in the network, and buy your plan. Thanks to
Obamacare, comparing plans has never been easier.

—Kevin Kane, lead organizer, Citizen
Action of Wisconsin

The
Shepherd Express and Citizen Action of
Wisconsin will answer questions about the Affordable Care Act during its
implementation. Got a question? Email editor@shepex.com.